Electric-lamp socket



Sept s, 1925. 1,552,917

F. A. FAULHABER, JR y ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET Filed Sept. 11. 1924 2 snmpsnm 1 Sept. s, 1925. i 1,552,917

F. A. FAULHABER; JR

ELECTRI C LAMP S OCKET Filed sept. 11, 1924 2 smug-sanne INVENTOR ATTORNEYS' Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. FAULHABEB, TR., 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIQJJMP SOCKET.

Application led September 11, 1924. Serial No. 737,098.

j vented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lam Sockets; and I do hereby declare the fol owing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part oi this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in socket connections for incandescent electric lamps.

The invention has for its principal lobject to provide a very simple, cheap and durable construction of socket connection having a novel arrangement and construction of contact devices for engaging the terminal electrodes of the lamp base, when the latter is inserted in the socket, together with a novel arrangement whereby both the lamp itself and the terminal contact of the electric service wire are interlocked with the socket structure so as to not only assure a good mutual contact,vwhich is undisturbed by vibrations or jars, but also whereby said wire terminal contact is so interlocked with the socket structure that accidental displacement thereof is prevented.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel construction'of socket connectioii-which may be utilized in a direct con nected circuit arrangement, or which, by a simple addition, may be provided with a self-contained cut-ofi' switch means for providing individual control of the lamp suported in the socket connection.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the novel socket connection with a lamp in place, all

is rolled into tubular form to disposed for a direct connected circuit arrangement; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical. section of the socket connection, taken on llne 2-2 in Figure 1; Figure 3 is another longitudinal vertical section, taken on ll'ne 3--3 in Figure 2; Figure L is another side elevation, taken in a plane at right angles to the plane of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a horizontal section, taken on line 5-5 in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical section, similar to that shown in Figure 8,"

but illustrating the addition of a slide member arranged to provide the socket connection with a self-contained cut-olf or control switch; Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on lme 7-7 in said Figure 6; and F '1gure8 is a perspective view of the switch slide member detached from the socket connectlon.

' Figure 9 is a view showing the provision of a hood in connection with the novel socket device, thus adapting the latter for use as an instrument board or dash lamp fitting; Figure 10 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken on line 10-10 in Figure 9; and Figure l1 is a horizontal section on an enlarged scale, taken on line 11-11 in Fig-- ure 10.

Similar characters of referenceare employed in all of the hereinabovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring new to the drawings, the socket is formed out of a sheet metal blank which rovide a socket body or ferrule 12, provide in opposite portions of its walls with bayonet slots 13 opening at the outer end of said tubular socket bod or ferrule 12. Integrally connected wit the inner end of said tubular socket body or ferrule 12 are a pair of longitudinally extending diametrically opposed leg or standard members 14, the latter possessing, adjacent to their juncture with the socket body or ferrule 12, inwardly olf-set portions l5 providing stop-shoulders from which the major portions of the leg or standard members extend, to thus form a socket standard of reduced width. The lower endv of each leg or standard member is provided with an outwardly turned footpiece 16, preferably projecting at ri htangles to the le or standard members. he free ends of said foot-pieces 16 are downwardly turned to provide clenching lugs 17 for insertion through the wall 18 of a base upon which' the socket connection is to be mounted, said clenchinglugs being turned over against the rear side of said wall 18 to secure'the socket connection, 'as sup orted by the leg or standard members, in esired fixed position.

The reference character 19 indicates a contact coupling late, the same being made of suitable insu ating material, such as hard-rubber, bre, condensite, or similar material. Said contact coupling plate 19 is mounted for vertical movement on the leg or standard members 14 by yproviding in the bod of said contact coupling plate a pair of s ots or openin s 20 (see Figure 5), corresponding in re ative disposition and in cross-sectional shape t'o the relativedisposition and cross-sectional shape of said pair of leg or standard members 14. When makin up and assembling the socket structure, said contact coupling plate 19 is slid upon the le or standard members 14 before forming t e footieces 16 in connection with the latter. T e upward movement of the contact coupling plate 19 will be limited by the engagement thereof with the stop-shoulders formed by the inwardly off-set portions 15 at the upper ends of said leg or standard members'14. Arranged about the leg or standard members 14, intermediate said l contact coupling plate 19 and the footpieces 16, is a compression spring 21 which exerts a normal upwardly thrusting pressure upon saidcontact coupling' plate 19, whereb the same is yieldingly moved toward t e lower end of the socket for purposes to be subsequently .set forth. Said contact coupling plate 19 is provided with a central opening 22 axially alined with the interior of the socket body or ferrule 12. Said base wall 18 is also provided with an opening 23 in alinement with the opening in said contact coupling plate 19. Aiiixed to said contact coupling plate, so as to be disposed, preferably, upon its upper surface, is a yieldable retaining or coupling means, the saine comprising a spring wire formation consisting of a wire body doubled upon itself to form a pair of laterally separated spring arms 24, disposed to extend diametric'ally across the face of said contact coupling plate 19, and thus arranged `to cross the opening 22 of the latter. That portion of each spring arm24, which crosses the said opening 22, is provided with an outwardly bowed portion thus providing a pair of opposed outwardly yieldable griping jaws 25 alined with said opening 22. e spring arms 24 are fixed in operative attached relation to said contact coupling plate 19, by providing notches in the periphery of the latter at diametrically opposite portions thereof, and then turning downward into said notches at one side of the plate the free extremities 26 at one end of the formation providing said spring arms, and clenchin over portions 27 against the bottom of said plate 19, and, in like manner, turning downwardinto said notches at the opposite side of the plate the closed end or loop 28 of the wire formation pro'viding said spring arms, all as shown in the drawings, or the formation may, be otherwise secured, in any convenient manner, to the said contact coupling plate 19.

The reference character 29 indicates an electric incandescentlamp for attachment or connection in the socket body or ferrule 12, the same having a base-portion provided with an external contact ferrule 30 having opposite laterally projecting locking pins 31, and, at the free end or extremity of said base-portion,`having a central terminal contact or electrode 32 through which the current enters the lamp, to traverse the lamp iilament, and then pass through the contact ferrule 30 to the ground formed by the lamp socket. device. The service wire 33 through which current is delivered to the lamp, when the latter is mounted in the socket body or ferrule 12, is provided with a metallic and preferably cylindrical, termi nal electrode 34; having a hollow rear end providing a receiving socket 35 in which the free end of said service wire 33 is inserted. The walls of said hollow rear end of said terminal electrode are inwardly depressed to provide an internal annular gripping ridge 36 for engaging and binding said wire 33 in mechanical and electrical coupled connection with said terminal electrode 34. The wire 33 may be coupled with said terminal electrode 34 in other ways, if desired. The free end of said terminal electrode 34 is preferably provided with a substantially conical contact point 37, and the body of said terminal electrode-34 is provided, in suit-ably spaced relation below said conical contactpoint 37, with an annular indentation or groove providing a lock means or seat 38. The service wire 33 and its terminal electrode 34 are operatively connected with the lamp socket device by inserting the same through the opening 23 of the base wall 18, to pass the terminal electrode upwardly between the leg or standard members 14, so that the free end of saidelectrode extends upwardly through the opening 22 of said coupling plate 19, and between the gripping jaws 25 of the spring arms 24, which yield tosuch passage until the annular lock means or seat 38 is encountered, whereupon the gripping jaws 25, under the inwardly moving tension of said spring arms 24, drop into Said seat 38, thus firmly and securely coupling said electrode with the coupling plate 19 with the contact point projected upwardly from the latter and disposed op osite the lower end of and axially alined with the socket body or ferrule 12.

To insert the lamp 29 1n the socket, the base-portion with its encircling Contact ferrule 30 is entered in the free open end of the socket body or fe-rrule 12, in such manner.

that the locking pins 31 pass into the respective bayonet slots 13. As the lamp is pushed down into the socket body or ferrule 12, the central terminal contact or electrode 32 of the lamp is brought into engagement withthe upwardly projectin contact oint 37 of the service wire electro e, which 1s rmly coupled or held by the coupling plate 19. This engagement of the electrode .32 with the contact point 37 takes place before the locking pins 31 reach the bottom of the bayonet slots 13, and, consequently, as thelamp base moves further in to carry the locking pins into interlockedengagement with the bottoms of the bayonet slots, the wire terminal electrode 34 and couplin' plate 19 to which it is secured are presse downward against the tension of the compression spring21. The increased tension,

thus produced in the compression spring 21 tends to strongly thrust upwardly against the' coupling plate 19, whereb the `contact oint 37 of the wire terminal e ectrode 34 is rmly held in operative engagement or cont-act with the lamp contact or electrode 32,

and at the same time the endwise pressure on the lamp itself tends to hold the locking pins 31 thereof in their operative interlocked relation to the bayonet slots 13 of the socket body or ferrule 12, all to the end that accidental displacement of the lamp or interruption of thenormally closed contact between the lamp and service wire by reason of vibrations, jars or similar causes, is prevented. The wire terminal electrode 34 is also firmly and securely held against dislocation o-r separation from operative relation tothe socket device by ordinary strains of vibration, jars,

etc., because of the grip maintained thereon by the gripping jaws 25- as tensionedby the spring arms 24. If, for an reason, it is desired to Aremove or detach t e vWire terminal electrode 34 from the socket device, this may be accomplished by a rearward pull upon the service wire 33 of suiiicient force to overcome the tension of the spring arms 24 so that the jaws 25 are thereby separated and outwardly moved from the lock means or seat 38 of said terminal electrode 34.

.The above described arrangement is illustrative of the use of my novel socket device, whena direct connected relation of service wire to the lam is desired. In many cases, however, it is esirable to provide a means directly related to or combined with` the socket, whereby the lamp mounted therein ma be turned on and o at will. To this novel construction of socket is of such ciaracter, that by a simple addition,

without necessity of altering the contruc-4 tion of the socket `features in any way, I can provide the same with a novel slide switch means, whereby the lam may be easily turned on and ofi' atl willi all of which is illustrated in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive of the accompanying drawings. The additional element, which rovides the slide switch, consists of a at elongated slide member 39, made of a suitable non-conduc- \tive or insulation material. This slide member 39 is diametrically disposed across the under or lower end of the socket body or ferrule 12, so as to extend between the leg or' standard members 14, and so as to be interposed between the terminal contact or electrode 32 of the lamp and the contact point. 37 of the service wire electrode 34.

In order to maintain the slide member 39 inthe desired diametrcally dis osed relation to the lower or inner end o1 the socket body or ferrule,12, the walls at the lower margin of the latter, are indented to pro! Vvide guide notches 40, which hold said slide member 39 against lateral displacement while permitting free longitudinal movements thereof. In order to limit the longitudinal movements of said slide member 39, the respective exterior ends thereof are provided with laterally enlarged heads, or stops 41. The intermediate portion of said Yslide member 39 is provided with a metallic switch contact 42, which is longitudinally off-set, in one direction from the central point of said slide member, and which extends vertically through the body of the latter. This metallic switch contact 42 is preferably, but not necessarily, in the form of a.. hollow rivet. Preferably, the slide v `member 39 isfurther provided with an open ing 43, providing on opposite sides of the same, seats or depressions respectively engageable by the lamp terminal contact or Aelectrode 3 2 on the one or upper side Iand vthe coupling plate 19 .under the tension of the compression spring-21, maintains the slide member o eratively engaged between said lamp terminal contact or electrode32 and the contact point 37 of the service wire electrode 34. A longitudinal moving of the slide member 39, induced b ressingf inwardly on one exterior en t ereof, will slide the member 39 in the direction of such applied pressure and will carry the metallic swltch contact 42 into alinement between and into mechanical and electrical engagement with the lamp contact or electrode 32 and the contact oint 37 of the service wire electrode 34, tlius closing the circuit and permitting the operative iow of current from the service wire through the lamp; an opposite llongitudinal moving of the slide member 39, induced by pressing inwardly the opposite exterior end therof, will slide the melnber 39 in the opposite direction, so as to carry the metallic switch contact 42 away from mutual contact with and between the lamp contact or electrode 32 and the contact point 37 of the service wire electrode 34, and at the same time will interpose the insulative body of said slide member 39 between the latter electrodes, in alinement and in engagement with the surface depressions provided by the opening 43, thus interrupting the circuit and stopping operative iow of current from the servie wire through the lamp. The switch slide member 39 may be readily detached from operative relation to the socket device by depressing the coupling plate 19 against the tension of the spring 21, thus allowing the slide member to drop out of the guide notches 40, whereupon the same may be withdrawn from between the legs orstandards 14. By a reversal of the described operations, the slide member 39 may be operatively assembled with the socketv device.

It is frequently desirable, especially when the socket is mounted on an instrument board ordash, to provide a hood or shade in connection therewith, I have shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 one arrangement for mounting such a hood or shade in connection with the lamp socket device. This ar-` rangement comprises the provision of a hood base 44, the marginal portions of which are turned inwardly over its main body, as at 45, with the free edge portions thereof turned upwardly to provide an annular outwardly projecting flange 46. The main body is provided with a central opening or perforation 47 ,f which'gis registered with the opening 23 in the wall 18, whereby the service wire and its electrode 34 may be inserted for connection with the socket. The base is further provided with suitably disposed openings or slots 48 (see F1 re 11), through which may be inserted te clenching lugs 17 of the footieces 16 connected with the leg or standar s 14 of the socketdevice, whereupon the said clenching lugs 17 are passed through the wall 18 and clenched over, to thus not only fasten the socket device to the latter, but also to retain the base 44 both assembled with the socket device and attached to said wall 18,

all -as shown in Figures 9, 10 and`11 ofthe A The reference character`\49 indrawings. dicates a suitably shaped hood or shade member, having a light emitting opening 50 in its wall, said hood or shadJ member being open at its bottom end. The open bottom end of said hood or shade member is telescopically engaged over the flange 46 of the base 44, being thus operatively su ported in desired enclosing relation to t e socket device and the lamp mounted in the latter.- If the socket device is rovided with the slide-switch device, the wa ls 'of the hood or. shade 49 are upwardly slotted, as at 51, to straddle the exterior ends of the switch slide member 39, so that said 'respective exterior ends may be operatively exposed eXteriorly of the hood or shade.

I am aware that'some changes may be made in the arrangement and detail construction of the several parts of my novel socket device without departing from the' scope of my invention as lset forth in the foregoing specification -and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention tothe exact arrangements and' combinations' of the various'parts as above described, nor do I confine myself to the exact detail construction of said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. In a device of the kind described, a bay-l onetl type tubular socket member having in wardly o-set leg members rojecting longitudinally from its inner en said leg mem'- bers beingi spaced apart and together forming a. soc et standard, a coupling plate of insulating material slidably mounted on said socket standard for vertical movement toward and away from the inner end of said socket member, means for connecting the lower ends of'said leg members with a base, a compression'spring,intermediate said coupling plate and said base for yieldingly thrusting the couplingplate toward the socket member, said coupling plate having an opening therein, a service wirelectrode to project through said coupling plate opening toward said socket member, a yieldable means mounted on said coupling plate to grasp said service wire electrode to detachably retain the same coupled -to said coupling plate, and said service wire electrode havmg a contact point adapted to be held by the spring thrust movement of said coupling plate in electrical engagement with iao toward the terminal means of a lam socket member, said coupling plate having an opening therein, a service wire electrode to project through said` coupling plate opening toward said socket member, a yieldable means mounted on said coupling plate to grasp said service wire electrode to detachably retain the same coupled to said coupling plate, said service wire electrode having a contact point directed mserted in said socket member, an insu ated switch member movable across the inner end of said socket member between the' contact point of said service wire electrode and said lamp terminal means, and said slide switch member having a conductive switch contact ,y

extending therethrough adapted to be carried into and out of mutual interconnecting contact with said contact point of said service wire electrode and said lamp terminal Y means by the manipulated movement of said slide switch member.

3. In a device of the kind described, a baycnet type tubular socket member having in-` wardly oH-set leg members projecting longitudinally from its inner end, said leg members being spaced apart and together forming a socket standard, a coupling plate of insulating material slidably mounted on said socket standard for vertical movement toward and away from' the inner end of said socket member, means for connecting the lower ends of said leg members with a base, a compression spring intermediate said coupling plate and said base for yieldingly thrusting the coupling plate toward the socket member, said coupling plate having an opening therein, -a service wire electrode to project through said coupling plate opening toward said socket member, a yieldable means mountedr` on said coupling plateto grasp said servicewire electrode to detachably retain the same coupled to said coupling plate, said service wire electrode having a contact point directed toward the terminal means of a lamp inserted in said socket member, a slide switch member diametrically arranged beneath said socket member, said socket member having opposed indented guide notches in its lower marginal lend to receive said slide switch member subject to longitudinal movements across said and said lampterminal means by lol'igitudi-` nal movements of said slide switch membert' and said slide switch member bein retaine by the spring thrust movement' o coupling plate Aand the service wire electrode in operat1ve assembled relation to the of said socket member. 1

4. In a device of the kind described,'a socket member having leg members adapted to provide a standard therefor, a service wire electrodeI coupling` means vertically sl1dable on said standard, spring means for normally thrusting said coupling means toward the socket member, 'andspring gripping means for detachably engaging a serv- 1ce wire electrode with said coupling means, the sprmg thrust movement of said coupling means serving to hold said service wire electrode in electrical engagement with the termlnal means of a lamp inserted in said socket. member.

5. In a, device4 of the kind deserte-ma socket member having leg members adapted to provide a standard therefor, a service wire electrode coupling means vertically sl1dab1e on said standard, spring means for normally thrusting said coupling means toward the socket member, and spring gripplng means for detachably engaging a service w1re electrode with said coupling means, sald service wire electrode having a contact point directed toward the terminal means of a lamp inserted in said socket member, an insulated switch member 4movable across the inner end of said socket member intermediate the latter .and-said couplingmeans, and said switch member having a conductive contact extending therethrough adapted to be carried into and out of mutual interconnecting contact with said contact pointoi: said service wire electrode and said lamp Vterminal means by the manipulated moveguide notches wire electrode with said Icoupling means,

said service wire electrode having` a contact point directed toward the terminal means of a lamp inserted in said socket member, a slide switch member Adiametrically arranged beneath said -socket member, said socket member having opposed indented guide notches in.v its inner marginal end to receive said slide Switch member subject to longitudinal movements across said socket member, said slide switch member being` conductive switch contact extending therethrough adapted to be carried into and out made of insulating material vand having a 6 Lungen -of mutual interconnecting contact with said of said socket member by the spring thrust contact point of said servicewire electrode movement of said coupling means.

and said lamp terminal means by .longitudi- In testimony, that I claim the invention nal movements of said slide switch member, set forth above I have hereunto set my hand 1o 5' and said slide switch member being retained this 9th da of September, 1924. in assembled relation to the guide notches FRED RICK A. FAULHABER` JR. 

